4440 Occasionally Locks Up

[littlesiouxorchard]

The other day we were going to hook up to a hay rake with our 4440 Quad Range and while moving from B3 to B2 the tractor trans locked up. Every gear was like it was trapped in park, except something like 2 in A, B, C and D was neutral and 1 was reverse. Drove it backward and put it in the shed to see if there was a broken linkage. There wasn't so we pulled it out with another tractor and everything was working normally again. Had to drive it around quite a bit to finally get it to do it again and it did it when shifting between B3 and B4. Seems to be completely random. Filter, screen, and fluid looks good. Anybody seen anything like this before?

Thanks
Chris

 

[NY 986]

Randomness might still suggest a linkage issue although entirely possible a detente or some other problem exists. Pretty hard to see everything externally with the sheet metal all in place. Eliminate everything with levers, rods, etc. before beginning the unpleasant job of going inside the transmission.

 

[Tx Jim]

If model with option of cab I'll suggest to change cab mounting isolators.

 

[NY 986]

Isolators would definitely affect the geometry in terms of shifters in the cab relative to levers on the transmission case.
Probably the most likely issue for the OP.

 

[littlesiouxorchard]

Thanks. No missing chunks from the cab mounts that we could see.

 

[Tx Jim]

I didn't imply missing chucks in cab mounting isolators but the isolators flatten out with many hours of tractor use which can change relationship of operator's station to gear shift linkage on the side of trans case.

 

[tim s]

It's not the linkage...

 

[littlesiouxorchard]

Wasn't the linkage or the cab mounts as far as we could tell. Followed this advice from Mitchco and haven't had an issue since.

Take the 2 rods off the bell cranks on the side of the transmission. If the shaft going into the transmission has any side to side play at all, loosen the clamp bolt and hit the bell crank hard with a big hammer. This will pull the cam on the inside tight so the detent balls are tight. Shift them each and see if the detent balls snap into place susinctly. If that all checks out put the levers in the cab in neutral and park. Then adjust the rod lengths so they line up with the bell cranks accordingly.

So far so good.